Cellular telephone systems continue to grow in popularity and have become an integral part of both personal and business communications. Cellular phones allow users to place and receive telephone calls most anywhere they travel. Moreover, as cellular telephone technology has increased, so too has the functionality of cellular devices. For example, many cellular devices now incorporate personal digital assistant (PDA) features such as calendars, address books, task lists, etc. Moreover, such multi-function devices may also allow users to wirelessly access electronic mail (email) messages and the Internet via a cellular network.
Of course, cellular telephone usage can be problematic in some situations. In particular, many accidents have occurred because of drivers who become distracted while using their cellular phones. As a result, many drivers use hands-free headsets while driving, which allows the driver to maintain a normal driving posture and both hands on the wheel. Such headsets also allow users to more readily use their phones to place or receive calls while engaging in outdoor activities, such as jogging or bicycle riding, for example.
While headsets work well for telephone calls, they are typically of no value when it comes to accessing email messages on multi-function cellular telephone devices. That is, if a user needs to monitor his email messages while driving or jogging, for example, he still has to look at the display screen of his device to read email message text.
Various approaches have been developed for allowing users to more easily access email messages during such situations. For example, Copytalk, LLC provides a service called Listen and Reply, which uses a text-to-speech converter to convert emails to an audio format so that users can receive their email via telephone, much like a voice mail. Moreover, users may dictate replies over their phones, which are then converted to text email messages and sent to desired recipients. Audio notifications can be filtered by time or sender, and also can be turned on and off from the subscriber's phone.
Despite the advantages of such systems, users may desire greater functionality in some circumstances. Users with multi-function devices that receive text email messages may find it cumbersome to call a service provider whenever they wish to turn audio message delivery on or off. Moreover, users may wish to change their filter parameters fairly regularly or while they are away from their office.